Magnetic contactor



Nov. 5, 1963 Filed Sept.v 8, 1960 J. F. MARQUIS MAGNETIC CONTACTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HI l il WM y.

@WM/mmf@ Nov. 5, 1963 J. F. MARQUIS 3,109,905

MAGNETIC CONTACTOR Filed Sept. 8. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN T-OR.

United States Patent Oli ice 3,169,905 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 3,10%,905 MAGNETIC CNTACTR .lohn Firth Marquis, St. Charles, lll., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Fumes Electric Company, Batavia, lll., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 54,768 3 Claims. (Cl. 20G- 87) The invention relates to an electrical switch and has reference in particular to magnetic contacters for controlling electrical circuits of the -single or pelyphase type such as may operate electric motors and the like.

The magnetic contacter of the invention'is known as the solenoid type and the armature and movable contacts move -i-n a straight line toward and from stationary contacts. The magnet and coil which are energized lier retracting the armature are substantially encased in molded plastic, as are also the shading coils associated therewith. The carriers for the movable contacts and dse the arc block, to which the stationary contacts are secured, are so constructed and arranged as to provide for either a normally fopen or a normally closed contact arrangement for at least one of the electrical circuits such as may be controlled by the magnetic contacter.

Accordingly a general lobject of the invention is to pre vide a rugged and durable magnetic contacter which will be compact and relatively small in size, and although the contacter has a full load rating et approximately twentylive amperes, actually the device is capable et handling power circuits several times greater as regards current flow.

Another object is to provide a magnetic contacter characterized by having its coil and magnet encased in a plastic base and wherein the conventional shading coils are also encased in the plastic base structure.

Another object resides in the provision ott a magnetic contacter wherein the station-ary contacts are easily accessible and visible to the operator at all times and wherein the carrier for the movable contacts is effectively guided during operation although it may be easily and quicxly removed for repairs or replacement.

A still lfurther object is the provision of a magnetic contacto-r -for controlling a plurality of electrical circuits and wherein the carrier for Ithe movable contacts has duplicate openings reversely disposed for respectively receiving a bridging contact and accordingly the same may be disposed for operation as a normally closed contact member or as a normally opened contact member.

With these and other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more Ifully described and particularly pointed out in the speciiication, drawings and claims appended hereto.

lIn the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the device, and wherein like reference characters are used t-o designate like parts- FIGURE l -isV a side elevational view of a magnetic contacter embodying the improvements of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the contacter of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view;

FIGURE 4 is a 'transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 444 of FIGURE 3 and showing the carrier for the bridging contacts; Y

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line 5 5 loi FIGURE 3 and showing the center bridging contact disposed for a normally opened circuit arrangement.

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken subl stantially along line 6--6 Kof FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the bridging contact disposed in the alternate bottom opening of the carrier for a normally closed circuit arrangement;

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the plastic encased magnet and coil base structure;

FIGURE `9 is a side elevational view of the plastic base structure elf FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 'l-O is a top plan view of the top insulating block to which the stationary contacts are secured;

FIGURE lill is a blot-tom plan View of the insulating block of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE l2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line .l2-l2 of FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 13 is a side elevationm view of the carrier for the movable bridging contacts.

In the drawings the embodiment selected for illustrating the magnetic contacter of the invention is shown in FIGURE 1 as comprising three major elements, namely,

riorly of the base structure and the same are electrically connected to the terminals i6 en respective sides of the base. When the coil is energized the armature 17 is attracted by the magnet 14-l5 to impart movement to the carnier l2. The magnet parts l5 are slotted as at 18 (FIG. 8) for receiving conventional shading coils which are not shown since they are completely encased in the base structure.

The arc block 11 is molded or otherwise formed of any suitable plastic material so that the various terminals and contacts will be effectively insulated one from the other. As shown in FIGURES l0, lfl and 'l2 the block is provided with a base opening 20' on its bottom side and with partitions ,21 and 22 on its top side. The partitions are spaced Vfrom the side walls 23 and 24 to form three longitudinally extending channels or passages. The partitions 2l and 22 are somewhat higher and longer than the end walls although all elements are about the same shape in side elevation. A transverse opening 25 is formed in the base wall 26 of the block in alignment with opening 20 and said openings extend from side wall 23 to side wall 24, the same being identied by a groove 28 in each side wall. Also each of the partition walls are grooved at 27 to facilitate in guiding the carrier in the block.

The stationary contacts are best shown in FIGURE 3 wherein it will be seen that each channel or passageway termed by the partitions 2l and 22 accommodate a pair of contacts which are suitably secured as by riveting to the bottom wall 26 of the block. Stationary contacts 30 and 31 (FIG. 3) are located in the passageway termed by the end wall 23 and the partition 21. Each contact is riveted in place by a rivet such as 32 and a terminal screw 33 is threaded to each contact. The passageway formed by the end lwall 24 and by the partition 22 accommodates the contacts 34 and 35. As regards the center passageway formed by the two partition walls 21 and 22, the stationary contacts 36 and 37 are located therein and each con-tact is riveted to the platiorm 3S. This platform as shown in FIGURES 5 and 7 is integral with lthe base wall .26 and thus the center contacts are elevated somewhat above the contacts at their respective sides. Each of the stationary contacts is relatively accessible to the operator being located adjacent respective ends of the block and the several sets of contacts are insulated -f-rom each other by the partitions 2l and 22. A stepped arrangement is also provided by the fact that the center contacts 316 and .37 are elevated above those at each side as will be clear from the showing in FlG- URE 1.

The 'carrier 12 is adapted to ride in the slot 25, and in addition to the bridging contacts 40, 41 and 42 which are -mounted on the carrier, the said carrier has the armature 17 secured thereto. -Each bridging contact is located in an opening 4?, 44 and 45 respectively formed in the carrier and a coil spring such as 45 yieldingly maintains its respective contact against the bottom wall of its opening. When the bridging contacts` are thus positioned it will be seen that they `function as a normally open circuit arrangement since the main coil spring 47 con-fined between the base structure and the armature yieldingly biases the carrier in an upward direction. This maintains the bridging contacts spaced above the stationary contacts and it is necessary to energize the magnet 114-15 to attract the armature and move the carrier down to cause the bridging contacts to close their respective circuits.

I1n accordance with the invention the carrier 12 is formed with an alternate opening lfor the center bridging Contact 41, the opening being identied by the numeral 48 (FIG. 13). The said alternate opening is located directly below the opening and the same is reversed with respect thereto. Accordingly, when the center bridging Contact 141 is `disposed in the opening `48 it is located below the stationary contacts 36 and 37 and thus the arrangement provides for a normally closed circuit. This alternate `form is Ifully disclosed in FG- URE 7.

In keeping with the stepped arrangement of the stationary contacts it `will be observed that the top surface of the carrier is also stepped and sliding movement of the carrier is facilitated by the elongated projection 50 (ElG. 13) on each side lof the carrier and which ride in the grooves 27. The present magnetic contacter is relatively compact although suicientiy rugged and durable to have a long life even under the most severe operating conditions. The arc block is readily idetachable trom the plastic base structure and this `accordingly lfacilitates removal of the armature and of the carrier for inspection and for repairs or replacement.

The invention is notto be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings, as various other forms of the `device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing lfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope lol the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. in a magnetic contactor, the combination with a base member of plastic material, said base member substantially encasing a coil and magnet device such that only the top of the magnet projects a short distance above and centrally of the top surface of the base member, of an arc block also of plastic material and providing on its top surface `a plurality of longitudinally extending channels formed by upstanding side Walls and spaced centrally located upstanding pantitions, the bottom wall of one of said channels being disposed in .a plane above the remaining channels, said arc block having a transverse opening therein and which is in alignment with the projecting end 'of the magnet, a pair of stationary contacts lixed to the bottom Wall of each channel so that a contact is located on each side ot the openin a carrier mounted in the yopening and adapted to have movement towards and `from the magnet, said carrier having a plurality ot openingstherein extending from side to side, a bridging contact in each :opening and projecting beyond its opening on each side, whereby the bridging contacts coact with their respective stationary contacts when the carrier is actuated, an armature fixed to the carrier at the base thereof adjacent the magnet, and a coil spring coniined between `and having contact with the armature and the top surface of the base member.

i2. IIn a magnetic contacter, the combination with a base member formed of plastic material, of an arc block of insulating material ixedly secured to the top side of the base member, said base member substantially encasing a coil and magnet device such that only the mag net projects exteriorly from the top side of the base, said arc block having a transverse opening therein and which is disposed in alignment with the projecting magnet, a plurality of stationary contacts fixed to the arc block and arranged longitudinally in pairs with the contacts of each pair being located on respective sides of the openv ing, at least one pair of said stationary contacts being disposed in a plane `above the other pairs of stationary contacts, a movable carrier located in the opening, said carrier having openings therein equal in number to the number of pairs of stationary contacts plus an extra opening, bridging contacts equal in number to the pairs of stationary contacts and located in openings in the carrier, whereby a bridging contact coacts respectively with each pair, an armature xed to the carrier and disposed relatively adjacent the projecting magnet, and a coil spring confined between the base member and said armature, said extra opening in the carrier providing for selective location of a bridging contact whereby the circuit arrangement including the same may be either normally open or normally closed.

3. In a magnetic contacter, in combinations, an arc block having side Walls and partition Walls forming three longitudinally extending passages, said arc block having a transverse opening formed therein and extending from side wall to side wall, a plurality of stationary contacts xed to the arc block and arranged longitudinally in pairs with the contacts of each pair being located on respective sides of the opening, the center pair of stationary contacts being disposed in a plane above the other two pairs, a movable carrier located in the opening, said carrier having openings therein equal in number to the number of pairs of stationary contacts plus an extra opening, bridging contacts equal in number to the pairs of stationary contacts and located in openings in the carrier, lwhereby a bridging contact coacts respectively with each pair of said stationary contacts, and an armture tixed to the carrier, said extra opening in the carrier being located centrally for utility With the center stationary contacts, and said extra opening providing for select-ive location of `a bridging contact whereby the circuit arrangement including the said bridging contact may be either normally open or normally closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,246,183 epper June 17, 1941 2,794,882 Russell June 4, 1957 2,845,585 Vicenzi et al July 29, 1958 i 2,873,330 Gribble Feb. 10, 1959 2,897,316 Brauneck July 28, 1959 2,919,327 Kuhn et al. iDec. 29, 1959 2,924,685 Burch EFeb. 9, 1960 2,977,438 `Moreschel Mar. 28, 1961 3,005,889 Powell Oct. 24, 19611 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,018,511 Germany Oct. 31, 1957 

1. IN A MAGNETIC CONTACTOR, THE COMBINATION WITH A BASE MEMBER OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID BASE MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY ENCASING A COIL AND MAGNET DEVICE SUCH THAT ONLY THE TOP OF THE MAGNET PROJECTS A SHORT DISTANCE ABOVE AND CENTRALLY OF THE TOP SURFACE OF THE BASE MEMBER, OF AN ARC BLOCK ALSO OF PLASTIC MATERIAL AND PROVIDING ON ITS TOP SURFACE A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CHANNELS FORMED BY UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS AND SPACED CENTRALLY LOCATED UPSTANDING PARTITIONS, THE BOTTOM WALL OF ONE OF SAID CHANNELS BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE ABOVE THE REMAINING CHANNELS, SAID ARC BLOCK HAVING A TRANSVERSE OPENING THEREIN AND WHICH IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PROJECTING END OF THE MAGNET, A PAIR OF STATIONARY CONTACTS FIXED TO THE BOTTOM WALL OF EACH CHANNEL SO THAT A CONTACT IS LOCATED ON EACH SIDE OF THE OPENING, A CARRIER MOUNTED IN THE OPENING AND ADAPTED TO HAVE MOVEMENT TOWARDS AND FROM THE MAGNET, SAID CARRIER HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENING THEREIN EXTENDING FROM SIDE TO SIDE, A BRIDGING CONTACT IN EACH OPENING AND PROJECTING BEYOND ITS OPENING ON EACH SIDE, WHEREBY THE BRIDGING CONTACTS COACT WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE STATIONARY CONTACTS WHEN THE CARRIER IS ACTUATED, AN ARMATURE FIXED TO THE CARRIER AT THE BASE THEREOF ADJACENT THE MAGNET, AND A COIL SPRING CONFINED BETWEEN AND HAVING CONTACT WITH THE ARMATURE AND THE TOP SURFACE OF THE BASE MEMBER. 